Refrigerator



p 1942. R. I- IINTZE ETAL 2,297,475

' EEEFRIGERATOR Filed April 24, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Sept. 29,1942 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE Rudolf Hintze, Berlin-Charlottenburg,and Anton Engelmann, Berlin-Tegel, Germany; vested in the Alien PropertyCustodian Application April 24, 1940, Serial No. 331,392

. In Germany April 5, 1939 Claims. (01. 62-116) This invention relatesto refrigerating apparatus and has for its object to provide a cooler,the manufacture of which requires less material than has hitherto beenthe case. accomplished according to the invention by forming channels inthe refrigerator feet through which passes a medium operating in therefrigerating apparatus for cooling purposes. The refrigerator feetthemselves thus form one or more coolers required for the operation ofthe refrigerating apparatus. In the case of a refrigerator in which thecondenser consists of two metal sheets secured together around theiredges by welding, the arrangement according to the invention is sodesigned that the metal sheets of the condenser form the refrigeratorfeet, thereby simplifying the arrangement considerably. The platecondenser forming the feet is preferably bent at the two edges lyingopposite to each other. In this manner a very rugged construction isobtained.

If the condenser is, for instance, mounted on the rear or side wall ofthe refrigerator, the arrangement is carried out in such a manner thatthe two lateral edges of the condenser are so bent that the bent edgesdo not prevent a circulation of air necessary for carrying off the heat.The

bent parts of the condenser are preferably so designed that therefrigerant conduits are indented in the same. They may also be soshaped as to receive parts necessary for the refrigerating apparatus,such as, for instance, silencers, floatcontrolled valves or the like. Aparticularly simple construction of the condenser may be obtained if thelower central portion of the plate condenser is designed in the form ofa housing for the motor-compressor set. In this manner a separatehousing for the set is dispensed with,

and the arrangement can be so designed that the set is cooled by therefrigerant liquefied in This may be the condenser. This may beaccomplished, for

instance, by designing some of the condenser conduits in such a mannerthat the refrigerant condensed therein flows to the housing of the setin order to beevapoi'ated again.

A very economical arrangement, particularly suitable for smallrefrigerators, may be obtained if the plate condenser whichfis at thesame time designed in the form of a housingfor the compressor-motor setis so designed that the two sidewise bent parts of the condenser serveas refrigerator feet. To facilitate the mounting of the refrigerator onthe wall, if desirable, the plate condenser may be secured to the rearside of the refrigerator by means of straps having openings therein, asdescribed more in. detail hereinafter.

The invention will be described more in detail hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a rear viewof a household refrigerator, showing the integrally formed condenser andcompressor housing;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same parts, showing also a portion of thecooling chamber;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the compressor housing;

Fig. 4 is a rear view of a modified form of the invention; V

Fig. 5 is a. side view of the same, corresponding to- Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a section on the'line A-A, Fig. 4. Referring to Fig. 1, anembodiment of the invention is shown comprising a plate condensersecured to the back side of a domestic refrigerator and which isdesigned at the same time as a housing for the motor-compressor set. Thecondenser consists of two metal sheets I and 2, refrigerant channels 3being indented in the metal sheet 2, whereas the metal sheet I is flatat the corresponding points. Both metal sheets are provided withindentations A and 5 which form as shown in Fig. 3 the housing for thereception of the compressor-motor set 6. The latter is mounted in thehousing on springs I.

The two metal sheets I and 2 of the plate condenser are so bent at bothedges as to form parts 8 and 9 bentat right angles. In the upper portionof the part 8 is indented a suction conduit l0. Furthermore, itisprovided with two series-arranged silencers II and l2. l3 denotes thesuction conduit extending-from the evaporator (not shown) of therefrigerating apparatus. To the silencer I2 is connected a conduit Hwhich extends within the housing to the suction side of the compressor.In'the arrangement shown the housing for the reception of thecompressormotor set is under condenser pressure. housing is connected aconduit l5 which, in turn, is connected to the central conduit l6 of theplate condenser. The compressed refrigerant passes through the conduitl6 into the manifold ll and then into the individual conduits 3extending in the downward direction and which communicate as disclosedin Fig. 1 with two collecting channels l8 and I9, whence the liquidrefrigerant flows through the conduits 20 and 2| to the point 22arranged beneath the compressormotor housing and from which the conduit23 extends tothe evaporator. The conduit 23 is indented in the bentportion 9 of the plate con- To the denser. 24 denotes a screen arrangedin this conduit. 25 denotes the conduit extending to the control member(not shown) of the refriger-- ating apparatus. In the lower end portion8 of the plate condenser are indented also refrigerant conduits 25.

The plate condenser shown in Fig. 1 is secured to the rear wall of arefrigerator and is so designed that it forms the back feet of therefrigerator, as indicated at 2'1 and 28, these feet including also thebent portions 9 and 8. Straps 29 are firmly secured to the inner casing30 of the refrigerator and serve to fasten the plate condenser to therefrigerator. The lateral portions 9 and 8 of the plate condenser areattached as will be seen from Fig. 3 to the straps 29. 3| denotes, forinstance, the wall of the kitchen. The straps 29' are bentat rightangles at the side facing the wall, so that they may be employed at thesame time as spacers for the refrigerator. In order to easily hang theabove-described refrigerator on the wall, holes 32 are provided in thestraps 29, through which holes the spikes 33 for hanging therefrigerator are hammered into the wall.

The channels formed in the feet may also be employed as coolers for aheat transfer agent serving to carry off the waste heat of theapparatus, for instance, for the lubricant contained in therefrigerating apparatus of the compression type.

A simple form of the invention may be obtained by forming therefrigerator feet of two metal sheets secured together around theiredges by welding, in which, are indented the channels for the heattransfer agent. By giving, for instance, these feet a U-shaped form, aparticularly robust construction is obtained. These feet are preferablyextended in the upward direction so as to form the lateral parts of aframe supporting the entire refrigerating apparatus.

Such an embodiment is shown in Figs. 4 to 6. The refrigerator isequipped with an air-cooled motor-driven refrigerating apparatus of thecompression type. The compressor-motor set is arranged in a housingconsisting of the two parts IM and I02. The flanges I03 of the two partsof the housing are secured together by welding and the housing issuspended in the manner as shown in Fig. 4 on brackets I04 secured tothe frame I05.

The refrigerant leaves the housing IM, I02 through a pressure conduitI05 and passes into a flat condenser coil I01 provided with the coolingribs I08 to enlarge the heat-radiating surface. The liquid refrigerantthen passes in the usual manner from the condenser to the evaporator(not shown). The vaporous refrigerant flows from the evaporator backinto the compressor-motor housing IOI, I02 through the suction conduitI09. The frame I05 and the condenser I0I are secured to the two rearrefrigerator feet I I0 and III which thus form the lateral frame partsfor the refrigerating apparatus. Each of the refrigerator feet consistsof two metal sheets secured together around their edges by welding andin which the channels H2 and H3 are indented. In this manner therefrigerator feet form at the same time an air cooler for the heattransfer agent flowing through these channels. The lubricant of therefrigerating apparatus contained in the housing IOI, I02 serves as aheat transfer agent. The lubricant is forced out of the housing throughthe conduit II! with the aid of an oil pump (not shown) mounted in thehousing IOI, I65! and passes at the joint "5 into the oil conduits H3 asshown in Fig. 5. 'I'heoil rises and passes at the Joint I I6 into aconduit II'I through which it flows-into the channels 2 provided in theother refrigerator foot. The oil then passes from the collecting pointH8 through a conduit H9 again into the housing IOI, I02. With the aidofthe above-described oil circulation system. the waste heat of themotor-compressor set .2: carried off to the air which comes into contactwith the refrigerator feet H0 and II I.

The feet H0 and III are given a U-shaped form as will be seen from Fig.6 so as to obtain very rugged lateral parts for the refrigerator frame.At the upper end these parts H0, III are firmly held together with theaid of a U- shaped iron member I20 to which triangular eyes I2'I aresecured with which the refrigerator may be hung on the wall. I22 denotesthe current supply cable for the enclosed electric motor and I23 thebushing.

What is claimed is:

1. In a refrigerator, a rigid vertical frame comprising parallel sheetswelded together, liquid cooling channels indented in one of said sheets,and a cooling chamber having its rear wallextending parallel to theupper portion of said frame and supported thereon, the said frameextending downwardly below said chamber and forming the rear supportinglegs therefor.

2. In a refrigerator, a rigid vertical frame comprising parallel metalsheets welded together, liquid cooling channels indented in one of saidsheets, a cooling chamber having its rear wall extending parallel totheupper portion of said frame and supported thereon, the said frameextending downwardly below said chamher and forming the rear supportinglegs therefor, a compressor unit supported on said frame, and conduitsconnecting said unit with said cooling channels. i

3. In a refrigerator, a rigid vertical frame comprising parallel metalsheets welded together along their edges, a cooling chamber having itsrear wall extending parallel to the upper portion of said frame andsupported thereon, the said frame extending downwardly below saidchamher and forming the rear supporting legs therefor, a motorcompressor unit supported on said frame between said legs, and channelsindented in one of said sheets through which the lubricant for said unitis circulated to cool the same.

4. In a refrigerator, a vertical condenser comprising channels formedbetween two parallel metal sheets which are welded together, said sheetsincluding portions extending downwardly beneath the condenser partthereof to form supporting legs, and a housing for a compressor formedintegrally with the condenser by opposite indentations in said sheetsbetween said legs.

5. In a refrigerator, a rigid vertical frame for supporting the rear endof a cooling chamber, said frame comprising two parallel metal sheetscoextensive with .the rear wall of said chamber and welded together,supporting legs formed integrally with said frame by extension of saidsheets beneath the chamber, and channels formed by indentations in oneof said sheets constituting a condenser.

6. A refrigerator as claimed in claim 5, wherein a conduit for gaseousrefrigerant is formed by an indentation in one of the frame sheets andwherein a part of such indentation is enlarged to form a silencer. c

7. In a refrigerator, a rigid vertical frame comprising two parallelmetal sheets welded together, channels indented in the upper portion ofone of said sheets to form a condenser, a cooling chamber supported onsaid frame adjacent said condenser, said frame extending below saidchamber to form supporting legs therefor, a compressor unit supported onsaid frame between said legs, separate channels indented in one of saidsheets forming conduits for refrigerant, and means including saidconduits for con veying refrigerant from said condenser to an evaporatorin said cooling chamber and from said evaporator to said compressor.

8. In a refrigerator, a rigid vertical frame comprising two parallelmetal sheets welded together, said frame being bent at right anglesalong both vertical edges to form side members, a cooling chamber and acompressor unit mounted on said frame, channels indented in said frameto form a condenser, a channel indented in one side member connectedwith the condenser, means including saidside channel for conveyingrefrigerant to an evaporator in the cooling chamber, a second channelindented in the other side member, and means including said secondchannel for conveying refrigerant from the evaporator to the compressor.

9. In a refrigerator, a rigid vertical frame for supporting the rear endof a cooling chamber, said frame comprising two U-shaped vertical cornermembers, each comprising two metal sheets welded together, cross membersholding said corner members together, a compressor unit supported onsaid frame, channels formed by the sheets of said corner members, and acooling system for the compressor lubricant including said channels.

10. A refrigerator as claimed, in claim 9, wherein the channels intherespective corner members are connected in series by means of aconduit connecting the channels together at the top.

RUDOLF HINTZE. ANTON ENGELMANN.

